Somebody Told me
by Chibi Tidus
Summary: Baralai is a singer who can't get over his ex, who just happens to be going out with a guy that looks oddly like an ex of Baralai's own...
1. 1 1 Pedal's Crushed

_Somebody Told Me_

Author's Note: Just a quick little tidbit before I begin. This is going to start out seeming very strange, but I promise it will have some of my angst in it! Though, not as dark as some of my other stuff. I don't know how long this story will end up being. Reviews generally help, but it really depends on how much time I have. So I will try to work through everything to get this completed.

Now... a little about the story. This is an AU Final Fantasy X-2 world fic, based on the song "Somebody Told Me" by the Killers. Baralai is a singer who is reeling off of the break-up with Yuna. When she starts going out with Shuyin it brings up memories of a past love, Tidus, for Baralai and the drama begins...

* * *

Episode 1.1: Pedals Crushed

Cast: Baralai, Gippal, Yuna, Tidus, Shuyin, and Rikku, with a special appearance by Lulu

Guest Staring: Wakka, Nooj, LeBlanc

He set the pen down and sat back in his chair, watching the pen as it rolled off the desk and clattered to the ground. In the din of the room he could not think. Silence screamed all around him, filling him with old memories, ones he would rather not think about. There was so much on his mind that he could not sift through the clutter enough to get one coherent thought down on the paper.

All this time he had just wanted to write one more song, one new song that would rock his fans. Since the breakup a few months ago with Yuna he had been plagued by nightmares and unable to create any more rhymes and rhythms. Normally a thing such as this would destroy an artist, but then they would come back with something awesome. They turn that energy into something so creative that it shocks the world.

This was not true for him.

He could not think straight for longer than absolutely necessary, and even the thought of bringing his pen to paper and compose another song was beyond him. Gippal, his best friend and the synthesizer player for their band, "Fate Forgotten", had done a wonderful job of getting some music together, which inspired Baralai to write, but not enough.

"What have you done to me?" Baralai asked nothing. His words echoed off the wall only to bounce back to him, leaving a tension in the air so thick it could be cut with a knife.

A faint knock drifted to him from the outer room of his apartment. Shutting off the synth music flowing out of the speakers, he paused to make sure he heard correctly. Again the knock came.

No one came by much anymore. He had gotten a couple calls from his manager, asking when he was planning on writing anymore songs. Nooj had offered to hire someone to write the songs for Baralai until he got back on "the horse", so to speak, but he declined. No one but him would write what came out of his mouth, what people would know him for. He was going to be in complete control of that aspect of his life.

Gippal did stop by every once in a while, to check in on him, see if he made any progress, but unlike Nooj, he was more Baralai's friend than a band mate, and therefore would care more about Baralai's well-being than the music any day.

Sunlight hit him as he strode across the room and he threw one hand up to shield him from the glare. His white hair was in a mess, spiking up in every direction. Not that he often cared for his outer appearance, especially when he was home alone not expecting company. Which was always. After Yuna left he did not much care for people in general.

Opening the door, he was not surprised when Gippal walked in through the doors.

* * *

Slightly shorter than normal, with messy yellow hair and a wonderfully blue eye, Gippal was the eye candy for thousands of teenage girls. Never mind the one eye that was completely hidden by a black eye-patch, he had the body, the face, and the chipper attitude that made him just the kind of guy that you wanted to be with but knew you would never have.

He walked down the sidewalk lining Baralai's apartment building, turning the corner to get to the entrance. On the other side of the street, walking out of a department store, he saw Yuna.

"Damn her," he whispered beneath his breath. He knew the story between her and Baralai, and thought she had been utterly unfair in breaking it off with him.

Yuna was not alone, of course. A man stood with his arms around her, tugging her along with him down the road. It was Shuyin, the famous Blitzball player. His shaggy light brown hair fell in locks, framing his angular face. Gippal had not seen him so close in person before, but now that he saw him, it was striking how closely he resembled Tidus, a boy who Baralai had "experimented" with over a year ago.

They had the same build, the same hair, only Tidus' face was a little more round. It was very uncanny, and very weird. Gippal had to pause for a moment, hesitate, and when their bodies swung in his direction he scramble to the door of Baralai's apartment building in an attempt to make it look like he had not just been spying on them.

Opening the door to the building with a key he had taken from Baralai –Baralai hated the buzzer, and hated even more having to get up and answer it then wait for the person to get to the door and open it for them.

Going up the stairs he wondered whether or not he should tell Baralai about what he had just witnessed. What was he going to say? "Yuna has a boyfriend that looked like a girlfriend you had last year?" (They had called Tidus "the girl" jokingly because at times he was too feminine acting for his own good.) That would be a very weird thing to say.

He laughed as he knocked on the door. Inside he could hear the synth music he had made a few weeks ago being shut off and feet start to pad across to the door. At least he was trying to work, Gippal thought. He was at least giving it a shot.

The door swung inward and a very haggard looking Baralai stood there. Gippal put on his best smile and walked right in as if he owned the place. Someone had to take affirmative action around this guy or else nothing would ever get accomplished... ever.

"Hey," was all the greeting he got from the singer. He was slightly grumpy. Yay.

Gippal bounced a little. He had to at least act very happy. Sometimes it helped work Baralai out of a funk, sometimes not. Depended on what he had been doing. He had been interrupted while trying to work on a song, which meant he was thinking about Yuna, and trying to cheer him up was next to impossible, but it had to be done. Besides, Gippal had some good news.

"What's up?" he asked in a highly happy tone.

"Trying to work," his friend replied glumly.

Gippal took a peek into the dim room where Baralai liked to write his songs and saw the blank sheet of paper. "Doesn't look like you are getting anywhere," he chided.

"What do you want?" came the voice with a growl hidden in it.

Smirking, Gippal turned his attention back to the man before him. "What are you up to tonight? Any plans?"

Baralai shot him a glance that answered his question quickly and without a doubt. "No," he said curtly, sharpening his point.

Gippal held his hands out in front of him, holding back his friend's negativity. "Hey, now. Simmer. I have something for us to do." As he spoke a gleam glazed over his eyes.

"Oh no..." Baralai said, weakening. Maybe it was possible to break him? Gippal spurred with hope. "What is it?"

"There's this little party down at the Label building tonight. Big people will be there, a lot of alcohol. Nooj said something about introducing the next big thing in music. He threatened that they might replace us as his favorites if we don't attend."

No doubt they would be replaced, Baralai thought. They had not written anything in over a month now and it seemed like they were in a rut. Or... Baralai was. Gippal could really quit their band and join up with any one else, surely there was someone out there who could utilize Gippal's talents, vast as they were. The music industry was very cut-throat anyway, why Nooj had not fired them from the Label was beyond them anyway.

"Do you know this new band's name?" he asked, an edge of excitement creeping into his voice. Gippal was sure he would win this time.

"Pedals Crushed, that's all I know."

"Sounds like some dumb girl band."

Fire lit in Gippal's eye. "I guess we'll just have to go and see."

Baralai walked over to Gippal. "What time does this party start?"

"In about two hours."

"I'll get a shower, get dressed, and meet you at the coffee house on the corner in about an hour and a half?"

"Awesome."

Baralai turned to the bathroom as Gippal let himself out of the building.

* * *

He leaned his head against the cool tile of his bathroom. The water had turned from pleasantly warm to almost cold, his hands and feet had pruned up. What was that? Someone knocking loudly on his door.

Tidus used his arms to heave himself from the bathtub, water sloshing over the side. His feet slipped on the grubby bathroom floor as he reached for a towel. It barely registered when his side hit the side of the bathtub. He knew that it would bruise, but found himself not really caring. Not much mattered anymore.

Pulling a towel around him, he walked out the door and took the two steps it was to get across his apartment. Opening the door as far as the chain would allow, he saw Wakka standing out in the hall.

"It's over, I'm done." Wakka said bluntly.

"What?" Tidus asked, incredulous.

"You can't get over one guy, I don't want to have anything to do with this. If you can ever find yourself again, give me a call. Don't get me wrong, the sex was good, I just can't take your emotional baggage with me anymore."

"Wakka, I-"

"No."

Wakka was walking away, disappearing down the hall. By the time Tidus got the door open, he was gone down the hall.

Amidst shouts and screams of the neighbors around him in the shotgun apartments, he slid down, the towel falling off of his hip. In the dirty hallway he wept.

* * *

The Label building was alight with something akin to fire. It seemed the walls themselves glowed with a glory that was beyond anyone of the party guests. Nooj was not only the band manager for Fate Forgotten, but also the President of the Label, the biggest record label name in Zanarkand. He believed in wild parties in a major sense.

The pair mingled their way through the crowd, drinking, having a good time. Baralai was even beginning to forget, if even for a moment, all the pain and was letting loose.

Gippal could not have been more pleased.

The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed, turning towards the stage against the far wall. This was the room usually used when press conferences and interviews were held. How easily it became a party room...

The lush, dark blue curtains parted a little down the middle. Nooj strode out, dressed in a very expensive suit. He liked to flaunt like that. Some called him a conceited asshole, most called him Boss. At his right side was his wife LeBlanc. She was a shapely woman, wearing her bright pink dress that revealed a little too much for comfort.

Nooj took the microphone in one hand, leaving the other one free to move about as he spoke. "I would like to welcome everyone here tonight. This is a great night for Label and the music industry with the induction of a new group, Pedals Crushed, to our family."

He was talking in his best professional talk, which was animated, dripping with sugar. Too sweet to be believed. "They have been together for only a few weeks now that they finally discovered how amazing their voices are after a karaoke night at a party I just happened to be attending. They sing and look like seraphs straight from heaven itself. Now, welcome to the stage, Rikku, Lulu, and Yuna, of Pedals Crushed!"

Baralai's heart caught in his throat and he gagged on the sip of beer he just took. The curtains withdrew all the way and the three girls were in the center of the spotlight.

As their song began Baralai knew who the song was about. His forehead beaded in sweat, his body began shaking. Gippal came up beside him, apologizing. "There's something else you need to know," he said, tugging Baralai away from the crowd.

"What?" Baralai spat, venom clear in his voice. He knew that he should not be mad at Gippal, that none of this was his fault, but he could not help it. Anger was anger, and rage was rage. He was plenty pissed off.

"She's... kinda..."

"Kind of what?"

When his shoulders were seized, Gippal thought about punching the other man, but stopped himself. He gritted his teeth against the pain and said, "She's seeing someone."

Baralai's grip loosened and his hands fell away from Gippal's shoulder. The Al Bhed silently thanked no one in particular, watching as the other man's eyes glazed over slightly. "Who?" he asked in a voice that should not have belonged to him.

"Shuyin... the Blitzball stud," Gippal said slowly, calculating the reaction. There was surprisingly none.

"I'm ready to go home," Baralai said as Pedals Crushed ended their song and Yuna ran into the arms of Shuyin.


	2. 1 2 Inspiration

Author's Note: So the first episode seemed to turn out pretty well, I guess I will get on with the second. Enough drama yet? I'll deal with the prior stuff in this episode, and see what comes of it! Be kind, please rewind... sorry, wrong thing. Review! I do realize that some characters were not in the last as much, but certain episodes will deal with some characters more than others. (PS- starting with the next chapter this will be rated R... you'll get it when you read this chapter lol)

Episode 1.2: Inspiration

Cast: Baralai, Gippal, Yuna, Tidus, Shuyin, and Rikku, with a special appearance by Lulu

Yuna set down her glass and stared at the man across from her. Shuyin leaned in close and softly kissed her cheek, his hand running across her exposed stomach, his fingertips inching inside hem of her skirt. As her breath caught in her throat he closed his mouth over hers.

A hand shot to the back of his head, fingers curling in his shaggy hair, pulling him closer, pressing him harder against her, and driving his hand further down into her skirt. Her own hand fell on his chest, gliding easily beneath the fabric of his bright yellow and red shirt. Her head pulled back for a breath while his lips drove into her neck, kissing and nibbling at the tender flesh.

"Shuyin..." she panted, grabbing her skirt with one hand and pushing it down onto her upper thigh, exposing black lingerie.

Hunger filled his eyes, desire and passion urged him to jump into it, but he knew her better than that. Yuna liked her foreplay. He would do whatever she wanted as long as he got what he wanted in the end.

She pressed her hips to him, telling him with her body that she was ready, that he could go for it, what he wanted. This was a good night, she was still feeling the rush from performing on the stage, she would comply with his needs more than usual. It stirred in him a mix of joy and uneasiness. He loved her partly because she could be difficult, and the lust for the hunt was what enthralled him almost as much as obtaining what he was going for.

"Tonight was so... amazing," she said as he practically ripped the lingerie off her prone body. He tugged her halter off the top of her body, rendering her completely naked except for the necklace that she refused to take off. He had pushed once for the story behind it but she would never give him the story. She had turned bitter and distant, the complete opposite of what he wanted from her.

He removed his clothing as quickly as possible, showing his wonderfully shaped chest and abs, his strong arms, and his nearly smooth, toned legs. Falling on top of her, he kissed her roughly on the mouth as he thrust himself into her, getting a satisfactory gasp from her mouth, which he swallowed in his own.

Nothing was more important than making her yell in ecstasy at that moment, and nothing could have stopped them if they had tried.

* * *

The party was over and the two girls collapsed on the couch in exhaustion. Everything was covered in trash and empty glasses, chips, and other assorted nothings. They were so tired after a day of preparation for the concert, and then hosting this party afterwards, which Yuna and Shuyin did not even bother to show up at – surprise, surprise.

Rikku figured that the two lust-bunnies would run off to have sex, and on one level she was mad while on another she was jealous. To have scored someone such as Shuyin after breaking it off with Baralai, damn! She was one slick bullet that was for sure. The chipper blonde looked over to her Goth counterpart, who was busy staring up at nothing on the ceiling. Some of her black braids had come undone and her hair was slowly turning into a frizzy mess.

Looking around the wreck of an apartment, Lulu silently decided that the clean-up could wait until morning, and something told her that Rikku would completely agree. It was way too tiresome to do it now.

That, and being the new big pop stars can wear you out.

Of course, Yuna probably had not worn down yet. Lulu could see her bumping and grinding in her mind and wished she did not have so vivid an imagination.

The two sat in silence, thinking the same thing, about Shuyin's spectacular body and how it must look naked. They locked eyes with each other and realized what the other was thinking.

"I think we need to get to bed," Rikku said quickly.

"Yeah," Lulu agreed, before Rikku had a chance to finish.

They darted off in opposite directions to their rooms.

* * *

It took a moment for Tidus to realize where he was. Sunlight hit his face in a jagged slash. He rose up, the towel from the day before sliding off his waist, and he slammed the curtains back into place.

Standing nude, he thought back to the dream the sun had wrenched him from, a wonderful fantasy world where he was himself, where he could be himself. There has been a sense of completeness that was ruined by the opening of his eyes and the reawakening of the "real world" in which he only wanted to escape.

Wakka was gone.

That much he remembered from yesterday.

"Fuck," Tidus whispered. He stumbled to the closest mirror and took a good look at himself. His hair had lost its life from his glory days of high school when Shuyin was only second-best at Blitzball and it hung in stingy waves. His eyes had lost their entire luster and were reduced to two dull gems in his pale face with hollow cheekbones.

He had not always been this way. In fact, this drastic change occurred steadily over the last year and a half. He was nothing now because of a break-up he had with the now-popular singer Baralai. Never had he once thought that one relationship would change him this much, this horribly, but he had been wrong. Too wrong. Way too wrong.

"Why did you do this to me?" he asked, reaching towards a box on the top of the dresser. He pulled it close to him, propping the top open slightly. Flicking it all the way off, he reached inside and withdrew several pictures from its depths.

Pictures all, of him and Baralai, or just Baralai. He had been happy once, and he had been happiest with that man. The pictures ranged from the two of them on the beach or in the woods to naked pictures of them that they had taken one night when Baralai had bought a new camera. That was when he was just getting popular.

Tears stung his eyes as he tossed the pictures back into the box, shoving the cardboard things away from him. It hit the wall with a hollow thunk and bounced once, then stopped, still.

Grabbing some dirty clothes off his unmade bed, he started tugging them on. He needed to go out for a walk.

* * *

Baralai was pissed.

Gippal knew that, and could do absolutely nothing about it. How was he supposed to know that the "new band" Nooj was introducing was Yuna's? He had stayed back after Baralai had left and watched as the new pop trio made their amazing debut.

The three were really good. They knew what they were doing.

That did not help the fact that he had betrayed Baralai. There had to be something he could do, but his friend did not want to see him at the moment.

When Gippal had gone to his home, Baralai had refused to talk to him, telling him to "Get the hell out".

Now he did not even know where Baralai was. He had given him a night to cool off, but now as he stood outside his apartment door, he did not know where his friend was. Not only was there no answer when he shouted into the room, there was no sense that anything was moving around.

Damn you Baralai, he thought, and moved back down the hallway.

By the time he reached the street he was regaining his perky composure, determined not to let his friend's attitude bring him down. Maybe he would go home and call Nooj, see if he could get that Rikku girl's number? He could tell she was an Al Bhed, and so wanted a piece of that. A smile broke across his lips as he thought about where he could take her.

* * *

There was nothing in this park, he thought, as he made his way through the paths in the forest. Baralai had needed to get out, to get out into the open, into the quiet. But nothing here appeased him, nothing here struck out at him. Nothing came to him, to inspire him or lift his spirits.

Seeing Yuna up on that stage and then seeing her in the arms of Shuyin was nearly impossible to grasp all at once. It took him aback, his breath leaving him.

She had been happy. Happier than she had ever been with him. Now she was in a real relationship where she could let loose and be herself, and he was nothing to her anymore. Just like the nothing that hung in the trees all around him.

Spinning, he let his hand sail through the air, slamming mercilessly into the bark of a tree. The rough surface cut and scraped his hand and a thin trail of blood ran from his ragged knuckles.

He heard whimpering from a little ways over. Odd how he noticed that before the sharp pain in his hand exploded. "Damnit," he whispered tersely, clasping his hand in the other.

Who was crying? He wondered, moving to get a closer look. He was never one to have sympathy for such public displays, cries for attention, and never one to just not care, either. His was a strange life.

Beyond the veil of leaves he saw a flash of bright yellow and sandy blonde hair, hanging limply around a frail face. The person was hunched over, crying and shaking softly, his face buried in his hands. Slight drops of water collected at the base of his palms and slid down his wrist before dropping onto his pants.

_Tidus._

No one had to tell him who it was that was crying across the trees. Baralai sat on the ground, losing him from sight, and listened.

He remembered Gippal speaking to him the night before, "Oh, there's something you need to know..." and then seeing Yuna flying into Shuyin's welcoming arms. No way.

Something came over him as he sat there. It began in his heart and spread outwards across him, filling him with an uncontrollable urge to write, to have to write.

He jumped up from his spot and ran back to his apartment; fairly certain Tidus never knew he was there.

At home in his darkened writing room, he began the song.

(A/N- p.s. sorry it took so long, the next episode should be up Tuesday!)


	3. 1 3 Happy Birthday

Author's Note: In this episode I introduce a plotline for Rikku, Shuyin, Gippal, continue a Baralai plotline, as well as a new character. Yes, this is an original character, who is guest starring in this episode and will recur a little through this season, and I might make him a full out cast member if you all like him. Let me know! (P.S. his name is Tommy).

Episode 1.3: Happy Birthday

Cast: Baralai, Gippal, Yuna, Tidus, Shuyin, and Rikku, with a special appearance by Lulu

Guest Starring: Auron, Wakka, Tommy, Nooj, and LeBlanc

The girl sank back into the covers of the down bed, pulling the man on top of her. Blonde hair flipped back onto the dark pillows, almost luminescent in the dark room. The man's graying hair sparkled in the minimal light filtering through the window, the curtain being only hastily pulled over the glass, letting in only jagged rays of light.

Her think frame was nothing compared to the bulk of the older man straddling her, ready to push himself inside her. Not to say that he was overweight or anything of that sort in the slightest, he just had a natural bulk to him, which was what made him so attractive to certain girls, even as he grew older.

The age difference was apparent, but neither cared. So what if they got dirty looks every once in awhile? Nobody that saw them on their "dates" would ever see them again, and the girl always wore sunglasses and a hat so no one would recognize her. Certain precautions were being made, since she might soon become famous.

Nails scraping over naked back, she writhed under his body as he pulsed inside of her, nearly coming back out, then thrusting in again. The motion repeated itself again and again, each pulse growing more urgent, more daring. The need to be released was growing with intensity in each passing moment, and she wanted to scream, scream and never stop.

Biting down into the sheet that fell across her face was the only thing she could do. Her hands were all over his back, needing to feel his heated skin, to feel his feverish flesh.

"Auron! Auron!" She finally shrieked, letting loose.

A firm hand fell over her mouth. He leaned down, his mouth close to her ear, and finally he climaxed, releasing into her. As he was slowing down the rhythm he whispered in her ear, "Shh... baby. We don't want to make too much noise. These walls are paper-thin you know."

The girl shifted as it ended, rolling onto her side, letting Auron curl his body to fit along hers. Her face fell into the light, Al Bhed eyes glistening in the frail beam of light.

* * *

It had been a few days and Gippal still had heard nothing from Baralai. The last he knew the other man had shut himself up in his apartment, refusing to come out or even talk to anyone. Now he sat across from Nooj as LeBlanc worked her magic on his shoulders. There was a hunger in her eyes that told him she wanted more than this contact, that she wanted to rip his clothes off and do him right there on the table, and Gippal was more than grateful that Nooj had her on a leash.

So, so terribly grateful.

"You have no idea what he is up to?" Nooj asked in his serious voice. One of his top boys had suddenly gone crazy and locked himself up in his room. This could be a problem.

"I think he might actually be writing," Gippal said honestly. "Something happened to him a couple of days ago, and I think he might be venting something out. Ya never know, right? He might just be crazy, but we won't know until he comes back out."

LeBlanc leaned over Nooj's shoulders, draping her arms deep into his lap, hovering her lips so close to his ears. Gippal wondered for a moment if Nooj did not like heated air blowing into his ears, then decided, on second thought, he really would rather not know. Just to be on the safe side, right?

He had to tell himself something to keep the dirty, nasty images from completely overrunning his mind.

"Okay, let's give him a few more days. If he still says nothing, then I want you to just move on."

"Move on?" Gippal wasn't quite sure he understood.

"Pedal's Crushed could use an experienced Synth player such as yourself to help them through this transition. To make them truly famous they have to have greatness working with them."

Gippal gaped at the man across the table from him. "That would be betrayal to Baralai," he stammered, dumbfounded that Nooj would ever think he would do that to his best friend.

An evil glint shone in Nooj's eye as he put his elbows on the table and leaned closer to Gippal, saying, "Some of us like to have jobs to go back to in the morning. I'm sure you understand."

The pair rose, LeBlanc falling into place beside him, her lips finally finding his neck as the door swung shut behind them, leaving Gippal alone in the room, staring at the bland tan walls and the faintly oriental pattern on the carpet.

What was he supposed to do with this?

"Fuck," he whispered into the empty air. Baralai, what are you doing?

* * *

The knock sounded and Tidus did not particularly want to get up to answer it. He had just gotten out of the shower and dressed, but decided that sleeping sounded really good at the moment and wanted to fall back onto his bed and sleep a deep, satisfying sleep. Grunting, he pulled himself up and stumbled across the room, running a hand through his messy hair, just beginning to knot up after air-drying.

Opening the door a little, he peeked into the hallway, not expecting who to see and surprised beyond anything to see Wakka standing there, holding a bouquet of white roses, smiling.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, unable to keep the shock out of his voice. Didn't this guy dump him a few days ago?

Wakka put one hand up, ruffling his hair beneath his headband, saying awkwardly, "Well, ya know man... I thought it was really brutal of me to diss you like that a few days before your birthday. I wanted to take you somewhere."

Not that his heart was all fluttery after seeing this man again, but Tidus could not keep his suspicions to himself. "Where? Why are you doing this?"

A confused look on his face told him that he was a little too harsh, that Wakka was really a good guy who only wanted to please his ex. Give him one last hurrah sort of thing. Not that Tidus was complaining, but he still did not like being told he was going someplace and then being denied the location.

"Come on, I just wanted to do something for you," the red-haired man said, flashing him one of the smiles that drew Tidus to him in the first place.

Giving in, he sighed, "Okay, let me go get some things, and I'll be ready." He looked out the window to see the sky afire in an orange glow. The day had seemed to pass rather quickly, but he was just fine with that. The quicker the days go the quicker he will get over this.

Actually he had forgotten it was his birthday. Wakka had been the only one dead-set on celebrating it, and that had only happened once. He grew up in a broken home that did not recognize many different occasions at all, the very least being someone's birthday. He had explained the whole situation to Baralai, whom had understood and promised not to barge in on his personal life in that way. Wakka heard the story and laughed, saying the whole thing was ridiculous. Everyone had to celebrate their birthday, right?

"That's what I'm talkin' about!" Wakka said, slapping him on the back as Tidus returned, a smile playing over his face. This might not turn out too bad after all. He knew that Wakka did not want to get back together and he knew and understood why, but maybe they could settle for friends. Yeah, that sounded nice.

* * *

Rikku opened the apartment door, closing it as silently behind her and keeping her back to the room behind her. She felt the presence there, and did not want to turn around, but knew she was caught. It had been what, almost twenty-four hours straight? A little strange, even for her.

"Where have you been?" Lulu's motherly voice scolded from the dark.

The younger girl turned, her cheeks turning a shade of pink. Just as she had envisioned, Lulu sat on the back of the couch, facing her. Her hand fell neatly onto her lap, folded over each other, extremely proper, the way she had been raised. Eyes were hard to see in the dim, but they looked as dark and piercing as ever, from what Rikku could tell. Not a good sign. Actually, this would classify as one of the bad ones. She had been hoping her impression of Lulu would be an overreaction, but as things turns out, it was right on target.

Horrible, horrible sign.

"I'm supposed to be watching out for you. Cid would kill me."

Rikku decided to take the offensive. "You're not much older than I am, why are you responsible for me?"

There was a tone in her voice she did not recognize as her own, and that she did not exactly like, but this was a personal matter. Very, extremely, definitely personal.

Lulu seemed to be taken aback. "What?" she whispered harshly, rising to her full height, which was taller than Rikku, although not by much. She took a few steps across the room. "We are a team, and we have to stick together if you truly want to succeed."

"Oh, yeah?" Rikku snarled. "Then where's Yunie?"

"Out with Shuyin."

"Well maybe I've found someone myself!" Rikku said, feeling like a child. Who was Lulu to tell her what to do?

Lulu scoffed. "You'd have told us," she said with a smile.

"Maybe not! You do not know me as well as you think you do." Rikku was getting heated at not being taken seriously. "As a matter of fact I did find someone really special, and he's all mine! You don't have to know about him, who he is or what he does, that doesn't matter to me. I don't need you 'watching out for me'! Got it?"

Lulu held up a hand. "Fine, I'll let you live your life. But you will not be able to keep secrets from us Rikku. When we make our first concert appearance and announce our first single, Nooj is going to make sure we are plastered over everything. We cannot afford to be bickering between us as we approach the threshold to fame!"

Yeah, she's right, Rikku thought, but I still don't have to explain myself or anything that I do. "We all have secrets," she whispered.

"Don't let it be one that gets us hurt," Lulu said, and turned away, leaving the room with out a sound.

"Damn," Rikku said. "I'm supposed to be sneaky, how the hell did she learn that?"

In the dark she felt compressed, like she could not breathe, and ran out of the room, finding comfort in her own bed. She was tired, and desperately needed a few hours of solid, deep sleep.

* * *

Yuna and Shuyin were walking home; passing by the Label's building, when LeBlanc came out of the shadows. Her scantily clad form scared Yuna for a moment before she realized who it was, and gingerly let go of Shuyin's arm, which she had squeezed hard.

He didn't seem to mind. The big bad Blitzball player that he was, one little singer's grip was nothing.

"Yuna, Nooj needs to meet with you," LeBlanc said, skipping any form of greeting.

"Good evening to you, to," Yuna spat. She certainly detested the woman, but if she was going to continue acting like a slut, which she probably was, then Yuna was going to have to show her the lady-like way to act.

"He's waiting. It's urgent."

"Fine, fine," she said, sending an apologetic look to Shuyin.

He nodded, saying, "It's cool, I understand. I'll wait for you in the lobby."

Leblanc moved close to him, mouthing to Yuna over his shoulder, "I'll keep him warm for you."

Sending her a few ice-coated daggers with her glare, Yuna knew that Shuyin would never go after a girl like Leblanc, if even for a one-night stand. She would definitely go after him, but he was too good for her. Too good might even be an understatement.

Shuyin was perfect, and she trusted him. End of story.

Walking up the stairs she looked over her shoulder to see Shuyin trying to ignore LeBlanc to the best of his ability, and she promised that she would be a quick as she could.

* * *

Shuyin watched her disappear up the stairs before turning to LeBlanc, saying, "Why do you make it so difficult?"

Reclining on the couch, she retorted with, "If I acted any differently they might suspect something was up." She flashed him a smile that dripped with venom.

"Whatever," he said, dropping onto one of the hard plastic waiting-room chairs.

"You sound grumpy."

"Do you think I like doing this?" he almost yelled at her. Concentrate, don't get too mad, he told himself, repeating it over and over. Don't get too mad.

"You like your Blitzball career, right?"

His eye's met hers with an intensity that would have knocked any normal person over. "Yes."

"I guess the question just comes down to this, then: What do you love more? The game, or her?" Leblanc relaxed for a second, letting her chest push out slightly. The way her dress was cut it revealed a little more than Shuyin would like to see.

"What do you have to gain from this?" he asked, ignoring her question for the moment. He really did not want to answer that.

"So much. Nooj and I have this little plan, and we need to get any dirt on those girls that we can. To this point, you are the only real link we have to them besides the girls themselves, and what are they going to tell us, major record label executives?" Leblanc could have gone on, she really did enjoy the sound of her own voice, but Shuyin held up a hand to stop her.

"What is your plan?"

"You'd like to know, wouldn't you?" she hissed between her teeth. "Let's just say we want them exposed for anything they might be."

Shuyin leaned forward. "So you are purposefully setting them up for failure?"

A quick nod was deadened by the sound of heels clicking on the stairs.

"I don't know why they couldn't have waited until tomorrow!" Yuna shouted back up as she came into view, and suddenly Shuyin was filled with a strong guilt. How could he do anything to her?

She ran into his arms and the mask resumed its position on his face, shielding her from everything he had to keep hidden.

* * *

Wakka was leading Tidus down the bad part of town, where the prostitutes lined the streets and pimps beat men who wouldn't pay the full price right there on the sidewalk.

Nudging him in the side, Tidus once again demanded to be informed where they were going.

Staying strong and not answering, Wakka stopped in front of a small place called "The Palace". "Here," he finally answered, gesturing for Tidus to go ahead of him.

"A strip club?" Tidus seemed only a little incredulous.

Wakka smiled bright. "You need to get back on your feet, and what a better rise than hot boys strutting their stuff?"

"Oh... my... Yevon." Tidus said, staring blankly at the shining building before him. Never before, for any reason, had he ever come to a club such as this one. What had Wakka been thinking?

"What?" he kidded. "It's just like walking into any other place you find. Let's go!" He grabbed the uncertain boy by the arm and pulled him inside.

Music blared off the walls, lights erupted from hidden places in the ceilings and walls, but there were no performers on stage at the moment. Wakka checked the listing before they arrived and knew that the next performance would not start for a couple minutes.

He led Tidus to a table towards a darker corner of the room. They sat and Wakka took care of ordering some drinks, which Tidus was unsure if he was going to drink or not. He had not had anything to drink in a long while, and starting again now did not seem like the brightest idea. He was not doing too well socially, financially, or spiritually, and alcoholism did not seem like the right path. Sometimes people have morals. Strange, strange.

The drinks arrived and the lights dimmed. A hush settled over the room as a mist started pouring over the stage. "Don't worry," Wakka said, "We're not close to the stage, but they come out on the floor."

"Wonderful," Tidus said, hunching lower in his seat.

A troop of male dancers entered the stage, filling out in a line. Pumping techno music blasted from the walls and each male grabbed something different to dance on, whether it be a pole or a chair, or struck some pose, ready to begin. A chord was struck in the music and they began contorting their bodies in various ways.

None of them were really Tidus' type, but Wakka was hooting and hollering beside him. If Wakka thought this was anything close to what he wanted or enjoyed, he really never knew him.

It was only after a couple minutes that Tidus noticed him. He was dancing along a pole, sliding his graceful body up and down. His head was slightly oblong, more of an egg shape than the circle most people had, but only enough to notice. Dark brown bangs fell into his eyes, but there was not much hair to grab onto in the back. Black streaks ran through his hair, barely visible in the low lighting. His eyes shone out across the room, filled in something that Tidus could not quite place, some longing that struck deep within Tidus. He could not have been any older than thirteen or fourteen, and looked almost too pretty to be a boy. And yet there he was, dancing for older men, hoping that the lust he could shove at them would be enough to accumulate a decent amount of tips.

Tidus just wanted to save him, to take him away, but realized he couldn't. While the other boys came down to ground level, he stayed up there, seemingly unsure of what he should do. He had to be new.

What is your name? Tidus asked himself, and did not realize he said it out loud until Wakka leaned over and shouted, "What?" against the throbbing beat of the music.

"Oh, nothing," Tidus yelled back.

While the other men draped themselves over Wakka, Tidus slipped out, unnoticed by his red-haired ex. This just did not suit him.

Heading home, he could not get the picture of that boy out of his head.

A/N: Hey! Yeah, this was slightly longer! Woot! Anyways, I wanted to flesh it out a little from what it was supposed to be because I probably won't be able to write another chapter until Monday! Sorry! But I will work hard, promise! Let me know what you thought about the dancer! He he, Tommy will be fun to deal with, if y'all like him!


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